Turbomeca performs first run of new, cleaner engine

Engine manufacturer Turbomeca on 26 April performed the first ground run of its new Tech800 turboshaft demonstrator engine, developed as part of the EU's Clean Sky environmental initiative.

Designed for helicopters in the 1,070shp (800kW) segment, the powerplant has been developed with 34 partners in 10 countries, including 12 universities and research centres, and is designed to produce lower emissions than previous engines.

Turbomeca has revealed little detail about the technologies featured on the Tech800, but says the advances stem from its compressor architecture, combustion chamber and a turbine which can "operate at a very elevated temperature".

It claims a double-digit improvement in fuel consumption and emissions over a year 2000-standard engine. Noise attenuation and weight are also better, it says.

A series of demonstrator engines will now be produced for a test regime on both rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft over the next two years.

"If successful, these technologies will be integrated in future products beyond 2016, in line with the needs of the European aeronautics industry," says Turbomeca.

Now that Etihad Airways has elected to stop funding Air Berlin, forcing the German carrier to file for assembly, a central question is which parts of the business can continue to operate in the long term.